Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Jack’s Abby Brewing, Lager - IPL (India Pale), USA

Jack’s Abby Hopstitution XPL #3 Calyptra

Friday, 17 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Jack’s Abby Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 5.5%
Style: American IPL
Other Notes: Hops – Calypso and Citra

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The hardest part about making new and exciting hoppy beers is sourcing the hops you need. Most hops are bought under contracts which are signed two or three years in advance. We occasionally get opportunities to acquire small quantities of specialty hops that are enough for one batch of beer, but no more. “Hopstitution” allows us to feature hops that we would otherwise not be able to make use of.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.2
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 16.9 fl oz. bottle with no bottled on or best by date, poured into a Moonzen teku glass.
Appearance: It poured a cloudy golden colour with a slightly less than two finger white head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Citrus orange, mandarin and a bit of peel with hints of mango.
Taste: Juicy with orange, melon and mango dominating. There are also some light herbal and floral notes, a hint of lemon zest and is lightly bitter.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied and highly carbonated.
Overall: Another great lager from Jack’s Abby. Much like Hoponius Union, it is light tasty and easy to drink.

18th Street Brewery, 4 - Good (buy), American Pale Ale, Beer Reviews, USA

18th Street Deal With The Devil

Wednesday, 15 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: 18th Street Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 8.5%
Style: American Pale Ale
Other Notes: Unfiltered, sediment may occur

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Brewed as a salute to our brothers at Spiteful Brewing, Deal With The Devil is packed with Citra hops. It is a juicy pale ale that’s low in bitterness and huge in tropical flavors.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.21
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 22 fl oz bomber with no best by or bottled on date. Poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a hazy deep amber orange colour with a one finger cream coloured head with decent retention and nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Strong citrus notes with orange and grapefruit rind combined with lots of pine and caramel sweetness.
Taste: Orange, approaching candy orange, with a good amount of grapefruit zest, pine and caramel sweetness.
Mouthfeel: Just over medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: For some reason, I had it in my head that this was going to be like pseudoSue or Zombie Dust, but this was completely different and not in a bad way. Deal With The Devil was still a great pale ale with a good balance between citrus fruit and malt.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Goose Island Beer Co., USA

Goose Island Sofie

Monday, 13 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Goose Island Beer Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: 20 IBUs. Malts – 2 Row, Pilsen and Wheat. Hops – Amarillo

Brewer Description: (from bottle) 80% Belgian style ale blended with 20% Belgian style ale aged in wine barrels with orange peel.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.41
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle bottled on 16th December 2015 and poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly cloudy champagne golden colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly but left some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Strong orange peel, juicy orange, lemon and white grape. Light funkiness with a hint of mango.
Taste: Juicy mix of orange and lemon with a hint of mango. Light tartness, some peppery spice notes and a hint of bread on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate to high spritzy carbonation.
Overall: A great solid saison with nice juicy citrus notes. Very refreshing on a hot day.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Green Flash Brewing Co., Porter - Baltic, USA

Green Flash Cosmic Ristretto

Saturday, 11 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Green Flash Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 8.2%
Style: Baltic Porter
Other Notes: 45 IBUs. Brewed with espresso

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Intergalactic infusion. Live long and drink Cosmic Ristretto. This highly revered brew will go down in history as one of the first graduates of our Genius Lab program into our front line. Marvel at its rich black appearance with bruleed edges and mocha-colored beer foam. Savor its smooth, espresso flavor and breathe in its chocolate, coffee, and sweet malt aromas. Don’t fight its gravitational pull. This bold, complex, java-centric Baltic Porter with espresso is irresistible. Houston, we have a problem, my glass is empty.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.06
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 22 fl oz bottle with a best by date of 10th August 2016 and poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear dark brown colour with a reddish hue and a one finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a thin ring of lacing.
Aroma: Dark fruits especially grape, bubblegum and roasty espresso with a hint of chocolate and vanilla.
Taste: Lots of coffee and espresso with a light char. Hint of dark fruit sweetness, mostly grape, plum and prunes as well as a hint of bittersweet chocolate and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A solid Baltic Porter with nice coffee and espresso notes.

4 - Good (buy), American Pale Ale, Beer Reviews, Three Floyds Brewing Co., USA

Three Floyds Alpha King

Wednesday, 8 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 6.66%
Style: American Pale Ale
Other Notes: 68 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Alpha King is a bold yet balanced American Pale Ale with slight sweetness and aggressive citrus hoppiness.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.16
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 12 fl oz. bottle bottled on March 31st 2016 and poured into a mini Mikkeller long stemmed tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear copper colour with a one finger off white head that had decent retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: A bit light but grapefruit and pine come through along with some caramel malt.
Taste: Bitter citrus grapefruit, lemon and orange peel, sweet lemon tea, lightly sweetened tea, pine and caramel malt in the background.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice and well balanced. Good mix of bitter and sweet.

words of another dreamy traveller